The ocean is constantly absorbing sun radiation whether it is sunny out or cloudy radiation from the sun is a consistent thing. With the ocean making up more than 70 % of the earth it is the largest solar collector. The surface collects the radiation and it collects way more heat than land surface on planet Earth. The tide as well as the current keeps the upper layers of the ocean well mixed. Majority of the Earth’s thermal energy is stored in the ocean. Since the ocean is a huge source of heat on the Earth, it also affects the climate tremendously. When precipitation falls the ocean releases heat energy back into the atmosphere. Also the oceans currents transfer heat to the earth’s poles.
Below the ocean surface it does not obtain heat, if anything the lower in the ocean the colder it becomes. But, since the ocean’s surface does obtain heat we utilize this in certain ways as well. For example we use this for electricity generation and the types of these are closed cycle, open cycle, hybrid. The top of Tropical Ocean also obtains most of the sunlight absorbed in the earth. The atmosphere does not get a lot of heat because it is transparent. Also wind actually carries heat to higher latitudes from the ocean.
Variations in How Oceans Absorb Sun Radiation
The ocean is constantly absorbing sun radiation whether it is sunny out or cloudy radiation from the sun is a consistent thing. With the ocean making up more than 70 % of the earth it is the largest solar collector. The surface collects the radiation and it collects way more heat than land surface on planet Earth. The tide as well as the current keeps the upper layers of the ocean well mixed. Majority of the Earth’s thermal energy is stored in the ocean. Since the ocean is a huge source of heat on the Earth, it also affects the climate tremendously. When precipitation falls the ocean releases heat energy back into the atmosphere. Also the oceans currents transfer heat to the earth’s poles.
Below the ocean surface it does not obtain heat, if anything the lower in the ocean the colder it becomes. But, since the ocean’s surface does obtain heat we utilize this in certain ways as well. For example we use this for electricity generation and the types of these are closed cycle, open cycle, hybrid. The top of Tropical Ocean also obtains most of the sunlight absorbed in the earth. The atmosphere does not get a lot of heat because it is transparent. Also wind actually carries heat to higher latitudes from the ocean.
Works Citied
Russel, R. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/ocean_heat_storage_transfer.html
Russel, R. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/ocean_heat_storage_transfer.html
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/ocean-energy
-Michael Pillar